Chapter 198

Jake's POV

Barely had the sun turned the horizon yet when I arrived at Gable in the wee hours of the morning. The entire view of the town painted itself in shades of pink, with every exhalation filling the sky. I wandered inside the studio, and the smell of paint oils and clay hit me with one powerful whiff. Today was huge. I knew there was a gap between Lila and me, and I prayed to find the right words to start bridging it.

The door creaked ajar as I gathered my things. In walked Lila and smiled her way over to me. "Morning, Jake."

Morning, Lila," I replied, realizing I was smiling back at her. "What can I do for you? Why such an early start?"

"Couldn't sleep," she shared, the thump of her bag as it fell to the ground. "A lot is running through my head."

"Same here," I replied, trying to sound serious. "Lila, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, and in a second, she appeared worried. "What's up?"

I took in a de